Love Canal
Risks of Chemical Waste
Dangers of Toxic Waste
• This case brought
awareness of
environmental issues
related to chemical
disposal.
• Read the articles
provided by teacher
• Create a timeline of
events from the article.
• A man named William Love
wanted to create hydroelectric power near
It started Niagara Falls by digging a
as a
ditch (canal) between the 2
dream in rivers.
1910 • The project ran out of
money before it was
completed.
• What was left was just a
big hole in the ground.
From Dream to
Nightmare
• 1920’s the canal was turned into a
municipal and industrial chemical
dumpsite.
• The Hooker Chemical Company began
using the abandoned canal as a
chemical disposal dump in the 1930’s.
• Between 1942-1953 Hooker Chemical
buried 22,000 tons of chemical wastes
in barrels.
1950’s -- A Good Buy?
• 1953- When the site
was filled, it was
covered over with dirt
and sold to the city for
$1.
• Late 50’s -100 homes
and a school were
built at the site.
1960’s The Crisis
Begins
• Karen Schroeder, 2nd
generation resident of
the Love Canal
community, gave birth
to her third child on
November 21, 1968.
Birth Defects
• …The baby, Sheri, was born with a hole
in her heart, which beat irregularly.
• She also had bony growths blocking her
nose
• partial deafness, deformed ears
• cleft palate
• mentally retarded
• 2 rows of teeth on lower jaw
• Enlarged liver
This isn’t baby Sheri but
these are babies with a
cleft palate.
1970’s – Nightmare
• . Trees and gardens were turning black
and dying
• Puddles of noxious substances in their
yards and basements and on the
school grounds
• The air had a faint, choking smell.
• Children returned from play with burns
on their hands and faces.
1970’s –
Nightmare
After record amount of
rainfall, leaching began.
• Corroding waste-disposal drums
could be seen breaking up through
the grounds of backyards.
• One entire swimming pool had
been popped up from its
foundation, afloat now on a small
sea of chemicals.
Late 70’s – Getting Help
• October 1976Niagara Gazette
reports harm to
humans, pets & plant
life.
• EPA and county
health dept began to
take notice and test
soil, water, air & take
blood samples from
residents.
1978 – More Help
• August 1st – leading story in
New York Times
• State commissioner
declared a state of
emergency- closed school
& ordered evacuation.
(pregnant women and
babies evacuated first)
1979 – Calling
on the Law
• U.S. Rep. Al Gore (DemTennessee) charges in 1979 that
the tragedy had been avoidable.
Publicized memo from 1958
describing burns.
• First lawsuits were filed.
Lesson Learned
• Dangers of Toxic Waste
the country learned about
one of the worst
environmental disasters
and the disastrous impact
of chemicals on the
environment & human
health.
References
• EPA website:
http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/lovecanal/01.htm
• http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/
news/2008/11/dayintech_1121
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Canal
http://distanceunreal.comxa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/lovecanal.jpg
Chemicals coming up
after lots of rain.